Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-09-02
A FEIRIFS Victim.
BY MRS. L. BURKE COLLINS.
aSo sydney Lancaster is engag.

ed to Lillian Trevalynf am sur
prised He is so grave and staid,
aud she is such an atrocious little
AiTtv'
The words reached my ears,
though evidently not thus intend
ed idle words spoken by thought.
less woman but destined 10 bring
much sorrow into my life.
For ! am Sydney Lancaster, and
it was my engagement to tie pref.
test and dearest girl in all Fulton
vile upon which the speaker was
commenting so freely.
A fliptt l had never thought of
such a thing in connection with
Lillian-my beautiful, blue.eyed
darling True, she was gay and light
hearted, fond of society and admira.
tion-what pretty woman is not ?
But a firt to me signlfied only a
vain, shallow creature, whose life
is spent in trying to mlslead, and
who counts her conquests as the
Sioux warrior counts the scalps of
his victims-trOphies of success.
For firts have always felt a
holy horror, and would sooner die
than trust my future happiness in
TO the hands of such a woman.
Therefore, fancy my feelings
when l CHANGED to Overhear the re-
mark above quoted. 1t sank into
my heart, it turned my life INTO
bitterness, and made me wretched
indeed.
Lillian and |, though we had
known each other long, had been
separated for the past few months.
I had been engaged IN business in
a neighbOnng city, and knew com
paratively little of her daily pur-
suEs and occupations in my alb
sence.
/ had come up to Fultonville up
on a visit, and then and there had
asked Lillian Trevalyn to be my
wife, and to my great jOy had been
accepted. And now came the dis
coyery that I was betrothed to a
iiTt
Maude Eaton, who had made the
obnoxious remark, caught sight of
NE Just then. We were at Mrs.
Hurd's reception, and Maude look
ed very handsome IN mauye crepe
and lilies of the valley fair.faced
woman, with golden hair and pa
theiic brown eyes.
She beckoned me TO her side;
just the width of an open window
separated us. Did she suspect
that had overheard her words !
l seated myself upon the silken
diyan at her side.
"What we're you remarking just
now 2" / began "treasOn, surely
in regard to Miss Trevalyn -
She shrugged her shoulders with
half smile; she made no reply,
hut the gesture was expressive,
and the silence went further than
words.
felt my heart sink, unaccOunta-
bly,, with a vague sensation of i'm
pending evil; but ! forced a smile
to my lips, and we drifted away
into desultory conversation.
l CHANGED to glance up inst as
Miss Trevalyn's name was an
nounced among the arrivals. She
entered the great, billiant room,
looking like a picture in her robe
Of white and silver, with white lilies
in her golden hair-lilies which l
had sent her. My eyes rested up
on the flowers Miss Eaton smiled
sarcastically.
GILLIAN told me that she would
wear white lilies because they suit
her dress y she observed. My
heart leaped angrily.
"Not because they were my gift =
/ interviewed. Once more, that
maddening, meaning smile. l felt
my heart thrOb wildly; slowly the
insidious serpent of distrust nes-
tied in Its depths. Just then, the
music pealed forth the sweetest
strains of "MOn Reve,7 Miss Eaton
lifted those pathetic eyes to my
face.
"Ask me to waltz with YOU" she
suggested and a moment later we
we're gliding over the polished
floor. To the strains of the sweet
waltz music. | did not see Lillian
for some time after that. Miss
Eaton monoplized me, and Lillian
was dancing; but at last, thank
Heaven / was at her side.
Her face flushed rosily.
ooh, Sydney y she said, in low,
reproachfUl voice, 81 have not
spoken with you before this even
ingw The tone was sincere; she
loved me, my beautiful darling
could nOt--must not doubt that
A happy hour few by upon gold
en- wings then was forced to re.
linquish Lillian to a tall, be.whisk-
cred, foreign-looking fellow, who
came to remind her that she had
promised him the next dance. She
had scarcely left my side when my
eyes fell upon a scrap Of paper
which had fallen upon the floor at
my feet. Mechanically stopped
and picked it up; starting at sight